The reputation of a vendor is an important factor in consumer decision making. Buyers commonly reference user reviews, internet forums, and the Better Business Bureau when selecting a vendor. Unfortunately, forums and user reviews may be influenced by vendor interests and marketing campaigns. Composite information may not be easily accessible and often requires extensive research on the part of a user.
The reporting services of bureaus and agencies are similarly constrained. The process of submitting a review is often tedious and incomplete. User feedback is typically scarce, even for well established vendors. Determining legitimacy and organizational performance can be difficult, as evidenced by the increasing number of internet fraud cases. The current feedback tools fail to provide adequate information to notify and protect users that make online purchases.